MEDIA mogul Oprah Winfrey has been dating her partner Stedman Graham for over three decades.
The pair were set to wed in 1993 but ended up halting their plans and just remaining committed to one another.
Who is Oprah's partner Stedman Graham?
Oprah has been with boyfriend Stedman Graham since 1986.
The loved-up couple have yet to have a wedding ceremony.
Stedman, 66, is a motivational speaker and accomplished author, specializing in self-help books.
Oprah has often sparked conversation over her close friendship with Gayle King with people speculating that the friends are in a secret same-sex relationship.
Speaking in the August 2006 issue of O, the Oprah Magazine, she said: "I understand why people think we're gay… There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it – how can you be this close without it being sexual?
"I've told nearly everything there is to tell. All my stuff is out there. People think I'd be so ashamed of being gay that I wouldn't admit it? Oh, please."
How did they meet?
Stedman and Oprah met in 1986 at a charity function.
The pair crossed paths a few times but Stedman was always with his girlfriend so Oprah did not pay much attention to him.
One day they were both visiting a mutual friend at the same time and she realized he was not with his partner, so she asked him if he wanted to have a drink with her.
Stedman broke up with his girlfriend at the time and Oprah and him began dating shortly after.
How long have they been together?
The couple have been dating for 30 years.
In a column for her magazine, Oprah described their union as a “spiritual partnership.”
The media mogul said: “ Our relationship works because he created an identity beyond being ‘Oprah’s man’ (he teaches Identity Leadership around the world and has written multiple books on the subject).
She continued: “And because we share all the values that matter (integrity being number one). And because we relish seeing the other fulfill and manifest their destiny and purpose.
Adding: “It’s what Gary Zukav defines as a spiritual partnership: partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth.”
What has Oprah said about marriage?
Oprah denounced rumors that she was marrying Stedman after halting their wedding plans back in 1993.
The star is adamant about being married and has previously spoken about why her and Stedman remained companions instead.
She opened up to Vogue in September of 2017 about their union, saying: “The only time I brought it up was when I said to Stedman, ‘What would have happened if we had actually gotten married?’ And the answer is: ‘We wouldn’t be together.’ We would not have stayed together, because marriage requires a different way of being in this world.
She continued: “His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional, and I would not have been able to fit into that.”
Stedman did propose to her in 1987 when he was arriving at her house to bring over a tape of the latest episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
When she greeted him, he popped the question, saying: “Is this the proposal?”
Stedman told Oprah: I want you to marry me. I think it’s time.” to which Winfrey replied, “Ah, that’s really great.”
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